Vitamin E Halves Cardiovascular Events in At-Risk Diabetics

Supplementation with vitamin E may reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events by more than 50% among type 2 diabetics with a defective gene for an important antioxidant protein, according to a new report.*

Patients with a defective gene for haptoglobin, an important antioxidant protein, are at increased risk of oxidative damage to blood vessel walls. Approximately 2-3% of the general population has type 2 diabetes and carries the defective gene. Such patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, and death, due to the defective protein.

Among these patients, supplementation with 400 IU of vitamin E/day for 18 months halved the risk of adverse events in a controlled clinical trial, compared with type 2 diabetic carriers of the defective gene who did not take vitamin E.

Phosphatidylcholine Reduces Steroid Dependency in Ulcerative Colitis

A promising new study reveals that phosphatidylcholine treatment can help patients with the inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, to be less dependent on steroid therapy.* Conventional treatment with immunosuppressants is usually recommended for this disease, but when these fail to work, there is a lack of suitable alternative therapy except long-term steroids.

As insufficient phosphatidylcholine in colonic mucus is thought to be a risk factor for ulcerative colitis, the German researchers in this study gave 500 mg of this supplement four times a day or a placebo to 60 ulcerative colitis patients who were on long-term steroid treatment, and in whom immunosuppressants had failed to work.

Up to 50% of the phosphatidylcholine group was able to successfully withdraw from steroid treatment and demonstrated improved clinical activity, compared with only 10% of the placebo group. Furthermore, 80% of the supplemented group was able to discontinue steroid therapy altogether without a worsening of the disease.

Omega-3s, Vegetables Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk

Mounting evidence suggests that supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as well as increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, significantly decreases the chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.1-5

One new study published in Neurology monitored the health and dietary patterns of over 8,000 French men and women 65 years and older, for at least four years.6 This study found that daily consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a decreased risk of dementia from all causes. Weekly fish consumption was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease in individuals lacking genes for apolipoprotein-E4 (apoE4). This genotype is an independent risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, researchers found that omega-6 oils, when not balanced by simultaneous consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, actually increased risk of dementia, even in the absence of the apoE4 genotype.6

Fruits, Berries with Meals Offset After-Meal Oxidative Stress

The consumption of most meals increases oxidative stress, unless antioxidant-rich foods are included, according to scientists at a US Department of Agriculture research laboratory.* Investigators hypothesized that antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits and berries, may increase antioxidant capacity following a meal, offsetting decreases in plasma antioxidant capacity associated with the consumption of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

To test the hypothesis, volunteers were enrolled in five clinical trials. Six to ten subjects consumed meals comprising fruits such as berries, grapes, kiwi, cherries, and strawberries, and/or a meal of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Blood antioxidant capacity was assayed before and after meals. Consumption of blueberries, grapes, or kiwi with a meal preserved plasma antioxidant capacity, while a meal without one of these foods led to a decline in antioxidant capacity.

“Consumption of high-antioxidant foods with each meal is recommended in order to prevent periods of [after-meal] oxidative stress,” investigators concluded.

High Vitamin C Level Helps Prevent Stroke

Having a higher level of vitamin C in the bloodstream is associated with a lower risk of stroke, according to a large British study.*

Plasma levels of vitamin C were measured in 20,649 men and women, ages 40 to 79 years, recruited from the general population. The participants were then monitored for strokes over an average of 9.5 years. People with the highest levels of vitamin C had a 42% lower risk of stroke than those with the lowest vitamin C levels. The difference was not explained by variations in age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise habits, diabetes, previous heart attack, social class, or use of dietary supplements.

The investigators noted that high vitamin C levels may reflect healthful behaviors that reduce the risk of stroke, such as fruit and vegetable consumption. Low levels may help identify persons at higher risk of stroke.

Healthy Lifestyle May Provide Extra 14 Years of Life

Individuals who practice just four healthy behaviors may live 14 years longer than those who don’t, according to a just-released report.* More than 20,000 participants between the ages of 45 and 79 years were followed for an average of 11 years. Questionnaires awarded one point each for not smoking, being physically active, consuming alcohol in moderation, and having a plasma vitamin C level consistent with eating five servings of vegetables or fruit per day.

Those who scored no points on the questionnaires were four times more likely to die than those who scored four points, and those with a score of two were twice as likely to die. Participants whose score was zero had the same risk of dying as subjects who were 14 years older who had practiced all four healthy behaviors.

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